The 6 Best Patio Heaters for Outdoor Entertaining, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite

The Arlmont & Co. Triplett Propane Patio Heater produces enough heat to keep you warm, while remaining portable, easy to use, and a great value. Choosing a patio heater means taking into account patio size, fuel, and safety features, but we would recommend this heater to most people.

More Patio Heaters to Consider

Strong Contenders

Cuisinart Perfect Position Overhead Propane Patio Heater ($331 at Amazon)

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If you’re looking for a patio heater you can easily reposition, the swivel arm and wheels of this propane model could be worth the investment. It heats well and is very fuel efficient, as even after several uses, our propane tank was still on “full.” It’s also very stable.

Bali Outdoors Portable Patio Heater ($100 at Amazon)

Weighing just 14 pounds and standing 20 inches tall, this propane heater is a good portable option. We found it was easy to assemble with clear instructions. One disadvantage of it being lightweight: it can tip over on a windy day. But, it has an automatic shut-off feature for when this happens.

Westinghouse Infrared Electric Outdoor Heater ($164 at Home Depot)

We like this electric heater’s compact size and that it’s stable enough to stay put even when bumped. Its oscillating feature helps push heat into your space more efficiently. It comes with a remote for user-friendly control. Setup couldn’t be easier, either: just snap the unit into its base and it’s ready to use.

SereneLife Infrared Outdoor Electric Space Heater ($270 at Amazon)

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This electric heater measures 57 inches high, and we felt its warmth up to 5 feet away, making it one of the best electric units for heat output. We only wish the heating element ran closer to the ground to warm our legs and feet when sitting.

EnerG+ Electric Tabletop Patio Heater ($258 at Wayfair)

This stainless steel model could take the place of a table in a bistro set, but it’s much more effective as a heater if you’re sitting close to it. For this reason, we recommend it for no more than three people. Also worth noting is its sturdiness: it didn’t budge when we sat down or kicked the stand.

East Oak Outdoor Patio Heater ($180 at Amazon)

We liked this propane heater for a few reasons. Assembling it was simple, it heats up fast, and it’s easy to move thanks to a light build and wheels. We felt its heat up to six feet away, though its height kept our lower halves from feeling as warm.

Thermo Tiki Outdoor Propane Patio Heater ($250 at Amazon)

Like the East Oak heater, this propane heater from Thermo Tiki emitted heat up to six feet away, with considerably less heat lower to the ground. Still, we like this model for its sleek design, which wobbled only slightly when bumped into.

What Didn’t Make the List

Testing dozens of patio heaters, several stood out to us, but we had to exclude several others that didn’t measure up in some way. For example, we liked the Living Accents Freestanding Propane Patio Heater ($379 at Walmart) for its easy setup and sturdy build, yet it emitted heat only half as far as our top-performing propane models, which makes it overpriced. We noted these same pros and cons with the AZ Patio Heaters Quartz Glass Tube Propane Patio Heater ($358 at Home Depot), in addition to a frustrating assembly.

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We loved the chic design and easy assembly of the West Elm Standing Heater Lamp ($350 at West Elm), but this electric model didn’t produce enough heat to make our list. Though popular on Amazon, the Fire Sense Telescoping Offset Pole Mounted Infrared Patio Heater ($255 at Amazon) also left us underwhelmed with its heat, and seeing this electric heater’s lightweight frame sway when bumped raised a safety concern for us. One of the few patio heaters under $100, the Hiland HIL-1500DI Electric Patio Heater ($73 at Amazon) seems like a good value, but we only felt its warmth when standing under it; poor quality and difficult assembly (we had to drill holes into it) knocked it off our list.

The Tests

We tested 27 electric heaters and 14 propane heaters, using them as intended and testing them for stability by gently kicking or pushing them. We looked for quality of construction and safety features, as well as how effectively they heat, fuel efficiency, easy assembly, and user-friendliness.

Factors to Consider

Electric vs. Propane

Propane tends to be more powerful, producing hotter heat. (There’s a reason propane powers many fire pits and grills.) Electric heaters, however, don’t require you to refill a propane tank. Consider which is more practical and important for you, as both options have benefits.

Patio Size

Of course, a larger patio will require a more powerful heater, while the same heater might overpower a small space. Check the number of BTUs each unit produces: the more BTUs, the more heat it emits.

Safety Features

Priority number one actually isn’t your warmth – it’s your safety. Make sure to check the safety features of the unit, such as automatic shut-off or a stable base that can prevent tipping over. If kids and pets will be nearby, making sure the unit’s surface stays relatively cool, or that the heating element is safely out of reach, is also important.

Our Expertise

Julia Skinner, Ph.D., is a writer, culinary educator, an avid gardener and outdoors person, and author of Our Fermented Lives. She writes about and teaches fermentation, cooking, and wild foods through her business, Root, and through her newsletter.

De’Von Dixon is an Atlanta-based general contractor and founder of Dixon Construction Services.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor